What does it mean to be a man? To be manly? How has this changed throughout history? This text examines the manly stereotype; which stresses courage and athletic comportment; which from the 18th century onwards became representative of normative modern society.
#12897 in Books Tom Holland 2005-03-08 2005-03-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.99 x .88 x 5.19l; 1.03 #File Name: 1400078970464 pagesRubicon The Last Years of the Roman Republic
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fantastic; Critical; and EntertainingBy Frank S. ScaliseAn excellent read on the lead up to Julius Caesar's fateful decision to cross the Rubicon; and of the events that immediately followed. Essentially; from Sulla's dictatorship to Augustus' victory. Holland explores the politics; but also the social elements in play; as well as the personalities of the men and women on this pivotal stage in Roman history.Unlike some historians; Holland's prose is anything but dry. He captures the essence of what it meant to the Romans to be Roman; and what the motivations likely were for all of the involved parties as they played out this real human drama. Very well done!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. "Rubicon" covers all the key players and events in the ...By Timothy D. Allison"Rubicon" covers all the key players and events in the fall of the Roman Republic. It is written in a very readable and engaging manner; and Tom Holland does an admirable job bringing all of the characters to life. Since there are a lot of written sources of the time period; this is possible; but really what you get are Tom Holland's vividly portrayed perspective of the primary sources. Another historian almost undoubtedly views any number of the characters quite differently. Hopefully; "Rubicon" motivates you to read those sources yourself. I deducted one star because I found his writing a bit too hyperbolic; but then he is describing some of history's strongest characters.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Thrillingly written popular historyBy Robert HayesI really love history; but I don't think I've read any before that was this well written and engrossing. Tom Holland has a gift for storytelling matched by few that really puts you in the thick of things. Even more impressive is the way he crafted the narrative by exclusively relying on primary sources. It really makes me want to read the classics. Aside from learning so much about Roman history; I also was constantly drawing mental parallels between the book and current political developments; as I'm sure many others have. Highly recommended to people who like history; but also to those less inclined because this book is far from boring.
